USL MATCH RECAP | Seattle Sounders FC 2: 0, Portland Timbers 2: 1

TACOMA, Wash. – Closing out a two-game road trip, T2 defeated Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC 2 1-0 at Cheney Stadium on Saturday night. Midfielder Eryk Williamson recorded his first professional goal in stoppage time as Portland registered its third consecutive shutout.

Run of form
In their last seven games dating back to April 4, T2 are now 4-1-2. Portland improved to 3-2-2 on the road this season and is now undefeated in its last four away matches (2-0-2). In addition to setting a new team record Saturday with their third straight shutout, T2 have registered five shutouts over their last seven matches.

Key plays
Searching for an early goal, T2 threatened when Marvin Loría floated a cross into the center of the box to defender Jimmy Mulligan. On his volleyed attempt, Mulligan’s effort forced a save from Sounders FC 2 goalkeeper Calle Brown in the ninth minute.

Midfielder Renzo Zambrano, making his sixth start of the season, forced a diving save from Brown on his long-range shot from distance in the 24th minute.

After T2 earned a free kick from 25 yards away from goal, defender Bill Tuiloma, making his second straight start for the club on loan from the Timbers, fired his dipping attempt over the crossbar in the 64th minute. In the 81st minute, Williamson’s service from a corner kick picked out Lamar Batista, whose header missed the frame.

In the 84th minute, Victor Arboleda delivered a cross to the back post that picked out Loría, but his volleyed effort missed the target. Cutting inside on his right foot, Batista’s shot from long range was fired wide past the post in the 85th minute.

T2 scored the game-winning goal, the latest in the team’s four-year history, in the 92nd minute following a clearance from goalkeeper Alex Mangels, who registered his first shutout of 2018, that fell to Arboleda down the left wing. Heading the ball past his defender, Arboleda delivered a cross into the middle of the six-yard box that Williamson volleyed into the back of the net past Brown to give T2 the full three points on the road.

Next Game
Next up, Portland returns home to play host to LA Galaxy II at Providence Park on Friday, May 18, as part of Providence Health & Fitness Day. Beginning at 11 a.m. (Pacific), the match against LA Galaxy II will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Postgame Quote SheetOn his thoughts from the team’s 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC 2…
“I thought we did all right. We said to the guys at halftime that we needed to clean up a few things for the second half and I felt they went out there and they performed well. We created a few other opportunities and I think for all of us we felt like the goal was coming.”

On the team’s collective performance…
“I think the standout performance from the game was the group. It’s the belief that the players have in knowing that if they keep fighting for the entire 90 plus minutes, they’ll have a chance to win the game. They did a really good job of keeping another clean sheet to give themselves a chance to win the game. I think the bravery and the desire that we saw in that last play sealed the three points. I think Victor [Arboleda] getting his head on there and then putting the cross into the box for Eryk [Williamson] – he made a really good good run into the box. There were some really big moments from those guys. You look at loads of important moments throughout the match that gave us a chance to get the three points.”

On the team’s solid play in defense after earning its third straight shutout…
“I think the players have all bought into the idea that defending is a real collective effort. It’s not just the goalkeeper, it’s not just the back four, or it’s not just the holding midfielders in front of them, but it’s everybody. It’s from the front working back and it takes everyone’s effort and covering for each other for making plays for us to earn that shutout. That’s a real positive for the entire team and not for just the ‘defenders’ of the group”